Method and System for Real-Time Visualization of Network Flow within Network Device

• US 20130159865A1
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LiveAction, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LiveAction, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, John Kei, Pierce, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,350,622 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/737
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

A network topology is displayed in a graphical user interface on a display of a computer. The network topology includes graphical representations of multiple network devices, of internal interfaces within the multiple network devices, and of network connections between the multiple network devices. A record of a network flow within a particular network device of the multiple network devices is acquired in real time upon transmission of the network flow within the particular network device. A graphical representation of a transmission path of the network flow within the particular network device is rendered in real time on the display based on the record of the network flow.

Claims

1. A method for real-time network flow visualization within a network device, comprising:

displaying a network topology in a graphical user interface on a display of a computer, the network topology including graphical representations of multiple network devices, of internal interfaces within the multiple network devices, and of network connections between the multiple network devices;

acquiring a record of a network flow within a particular network device of the multiple network devices in real time upon transmission of the network flow within the particular network device; and

rendering in real time, on the display, a graphical representation of a transmission path of the network flow within the particular network device based on the record of the network flow.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the record of the network flow identifies an ingress interface of the network flow within the particular network device and identifies other internal interfaces within the particular network device to which the network flow was transmitted.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the other internal interfaces within the particular network device to which the network flow was transmitted includes an egress interface through which the network flow was transmitted from the particular network device.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the other internal interfaces within the particular network device to which the network flow was transmitted includes a null interface at which the network flow was terminated within the particular network device.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the other internal interfaces within the particular network device to which the network flow was transmitted includes a local interface at which the network flow was terminated within the particular network device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the particular network device is a router, and wherein the record of the network flow is generated for a packet of network traffic that is forwarded within the router.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring multiple records of multiple network flows within the particular network device upon transmission of the multiple network flows within the particular network device;

aggregating the multiple network flows based on one or more network flow parameters to identify an aggregated set of the multiple network flows; and

rendering, on the display, graphical representations of transmission paths of the aggregated set of the multiple network flows within the particular network device based on the multiple records corresponding to the aggregated set of the multiple network flows and in a real-time manner.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the one or more network flow parameters include one or more of a DSCP (Differentiated Services Code Point), port, IP (Internet Protocol) address, layer 4 protocol, bit rate range, byte range, VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) tag parameter, MAC (Media Access Control) parameter, and TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) flag field.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network flow is a layer 2 network flow.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the layer 2 network flow is transmitted through a VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network).

7. The method as recited in claim I, further comprising:

acquiring multiple records of multiple network flows within the particular network device upon transmission of the multiple network flows within the particular network device;

filtering the multiple network flows based on one or more network flow parameters to identify a filtered set of the multiple network flows; and

rendering, on the display, graphical representations of transmission paths of the filtered set of the multiple network flows within the particular network device based on the multiple records corresponding to the filtered set of the multiple network flows and in a real-time manner.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

rendering, on the display, a control graphical user interface for defining, saving, and applying the filtering of the multiple network flows.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more network flow parameters include one or more of a DSCP (Differentiated Services Code Point), port, IP (Internet Protocol) address, layer 4 protocol, bit rate range, byte range, VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) tag parameter, MAC (Media Access Control) parameter, and TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) flag field.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

modifying an appearance of one or more of the graphical representations of the transmission paths of the filtered set of the multiple network flows based on network flow parameters.

15. A system for real-time network flow visualization within a network device, comprising:

multiple network devices operating to transmit multiple network flows through a network, each of the multiple network devices including one or more internal interfaces; and

a computer operating to display a network topology of the network in a graphical user interface on a display connected to the computer, the network topology including graphical representations of multiple network devices, of internal interfaces within the multiple network devices, and of network connections between the multiple network devices, the computer operating to acquire a record of a network flow within a particular network device of the multiple network devices in real time upon transmission of the network flow within the particular network device, and the computer operating to render on the display in real time a graphical representation of a transmission path of the network flow within he particular network device based on the record of the network flow.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the record of the network flow identifies an ingress interface of the network flow within the particular network device and identifies other internal interfaces within the particular network device to which the network flow was transmitted.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the other internal interfaces within the particular network device to which the network flow was transmitted includes an egress interface through which the network flow was transmitted from the particular network device.

18. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the other internal interfaces within the particular network device to which the network flow was transmitted includes a null interface at which the network flow was terminated within the particular network device.

19. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the other internal interfaces within the particular network device to which the network flow was transmitted includes a local interface at which the network flow was terminated within the particular network device.

20. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the particular network device is a router, and wherein the record of the network flow is generated for a packet of network traffic that is forwarded within the router.

21. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer operates to acquire multiple records of multiple network flows within the particular network device in real time upon transmission of the multiple network flows within the particular network device, the computer operating to filtering the multiple network flows based on one or more network flow parameters to identify a filtered set of the multiple network flows, and the computer operating to render on the display in real time graphical representations of transmission paths of the filtered set of the multiple network flows within the particular network device based on the multiple records corresponding to the filtered set of the multiple network flows.

22. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the computer operates to render on the display a control graphical user interface for defining, saving, and applying the filtering of the multiple network flows.

23. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the one or more network flow parameters include one or more of a DSCP (Differentiated Services Code Point), port, IP (Internet Protocol) address, layer 4 protocol, bit rate range, byte range, VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) tag parameter, MAC (Media Access Control) parameter, and TCP (Transmission Control. Protocol) flag field.

24. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the computer operates to modify an appearance of one or more of the graphical representations of the transmission paths of the filtered set of the multiple network flows based on network flow parameters.

25. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer operates to acquire multiple records of multiple network flows within the particular network device in real time upon transmission of the multiple network flows within the particular network device, the computer operating to aggregate the multiple network flows based on one or more network flow parameters to identify an aggregated set of the multiple network flows, and the computer operating to render on the display in real time graphical representations of transmission paths of the aggregated set of the multiple network flows within the particular network device based on the multiple records corresponding to the aggregated set of the multiple network flows.

26. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the one or more network flow parameters include one or more of a DSCP (Differentiated Services Code Point), port, IP (Internet Protocol) address, layer 4 protocol, bit rate range, byte range, VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) tag parameter, MAC (Media Access Control) parameter, and TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) flag field.